Advanced high performance engines, such as those used in commercial jetliners, utilize main shaft bearing compartment seals to seal a main shaft bearing compartment and minimize lubricant from escaping the bearing compartment. Carbon seals are typically used for this purpose, and enable the engine and bearing compartment to function with minimal impact on the thrust specific fuel consumption, thermal management system, or the lubrication system.
Existing engine main shaft seals experience elevated occurrences of anti-rotation slot wear and sporadic anti-rotation sleeve/pin wear (alternately referred to as notching). These wear conditions have a negative impact on the reliability metrics of an engine incorporating the existing engine main shaft seals. Existing engine main shaft seals utilize hard chrome plating to minimize wear conditions. The hard chrome plating has a negative impact on current Green Engine Materials of Concern metrics.